


A Maserati and Some Mistletoe

by EmeraldRoseQuartz, MoonCat163



Category: Loki Fandom, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Don’t copy to another site, F/M, Fluff, Loki (Marvel) Does What He Wants, Loki Can Be Sweet, Loki’s First Christmas, Secret Santa, Seriously - So Much Fluff, Teleportation, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, happy holidays, taking a joyride in Tony’s Maserati, there is kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-10
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:54:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27960356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmeraldRoseQuartz/pseuds/EmeraldRoseQuartz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/MoonCat163/pseuds/MoonCat163
Summary: Secret Santa...Loki wasn’t sure what all the tradition detailed, but he had no interest in it. However, one of the newest team members was determined that everyone would have a good time, including him.Tori, with her bright hair and even brighter eyes, managed to gain his acquiescence, and now he has found himself obligated to purchase a gift for a Midgardian, of all people.
Relationships: Loki (Marvel)/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 30
Kudos: 48





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki is forced to participate in a ridiculous Midgardian tradition called "Secret Santa."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regular text = Tori’s POV  
> Bold text = Loki’s POV

“Where did it go?” Tori murmured to herself as she scoured through the junk drawers in the kitchen, in search of a marker that she’d seen earlier. “Never there when you want it.”

After a few more minutes, she found it and returned to her seat at the table, where she busied herself with writing on small slips of paper, which she then folded and put into a festive bowl. She diligently checked the names off a list so that no one would be left out of the Secret Santa drawing.

“Okay, here we go,” she announced as she joined the others in the sitting room. 

All of them were seated, except for Thor and Loki, who were looking over the decorated Christmas tree that Tori had just finished with. Thor spotted an ornament with his colors and name on it, and he was delighted to point out the one with Loki’s name on it. Loki wasn’t as impressed, or at least he didn’t seem to be, but then, it was rather hard to read him most times. 

“What do you have there, Victoria?” Tony Stark asked. 

“Secret Santa,” she replied. “And you know that you can call me ‘Tori’, right?”

“Yep,” he replied with a grin. 

She scrunched her nose at him, while she waited for Thor and Loki to give her their attention. Thor sat down, but Loki remained where he was, likely so that he could escape from any undesirable activity. 

“Here are the rules: no gift over twenty dollars,” Tori explained, while shooting Tony a knowing glance. “They will go under the tree so that we can open them on Christmas Eve.”

Thor asked a few questions, and while Tori’s attention was on his brother, Loki took that opportunity to escape. Tori had anticipated that, though, and headed him off by teleporting directly into his path.

“Loki gets to draw first,” she grinned at him.

—

**Loki stopped dead when Tori appeared in front of him in a flash of white light, nearly losing his balance and stumbling backward but managing to maintain some level of decorum in front of his...** **_acquaintances_ ** **. He certainly wouldn’t call them friends. But they were the only people he could be around for now, and even** **_he_ ** **wasn’t such a loner that he wanted to be completely isolated.**

**Plus...Thor made him come.**

**He rolled his eyes as she smirked at him, holding up the little bowl and shaking it in his face. He reached in and pulled out one of the small pieces of paper, then gave Tori a look that said** **_OK, I did it. Now move on._ **

**She had the audacity to** **_wink_ ** **at him before moving past him and having the rest of this motley team of heroes pull names.** **_Norns_ ** **, he dreaded whatever gift anyone in this room might try to get him...he almost hoped he would get a “gift card” to some random, unassuming place that would prove no one here actually had any idea what he liked and didn’t like.**

**Slowly, he turned his gaze downward to the small, folded piece of paper, and opened it.**

**_TORI_** **😉**

**  
*Ugh...of course...***

**He leaned back against the wall and waited for the others to finish, each of them giggling and chatting like school children he had no interest in indulging. Crossing his arms, he huffed, waiting for this farce of a holiday tradition to be over so he could go do something -** **_anything_ ** **\- else.**

—

Tori watched while the rest of the gang opened their slips of paper; they all seemed to be excited, well, except for Loki, of course. He remained where he was, his expression one of impatience and distaste. She couldn’t help but grin at his attitude, and she was exceptionally proud of herself for stopping his exodus so neatly. That act alone added to his disgruntlement, but it was the norm for him in any case. 

By the time everyone else had drawn a name, there was only one folded note left. She put the little bowl aside before looking at the name she’d drawn. 

  
_Loki_

_ This should be interesting, _ she thought. 

“Santa doesn’t leave mopey princes gifts for Christmas Day!” Tony couldn’t pass up an opportunity to needle Loki a little. 

Tori laughed softly at that, after she glanced at Loki. He’d proven to be a hard nut to crack, and resisted any effort to include him in the simplest of things, so she doubled her efforts, of course. 

Movie night?  _ Nope. _ Trivial Pursuit?  _ Nope. _ Video games?  _ Oh, but no. _

He’d almost always get to his suite and hole up until the next day. On one occasion, he’d gone three days before leaving it, and that was only because he ran out of chocolate pudding. Tori would have something else planned by then, which he still had no interest in whatsoever. 

Tori had hoped by now that he would be more relaxed and receptive to her efforts, because she really wanted his help with something. Although she managed to cut off his escape route without incident, that wasn’t always the case. Her gift of teleportation had emerged when she was young, but her parents had forced her to stifle it, which resulted in absolutely no training until after she left home.

There weren’t many people who had the gift, or even understood it enough to help her. She practiced on her own, and those first attempts were pathetic. Sometimes she’d land on her target point, but most times she wasn’t even close to where she wanted to go. There was one instance where she’d actually landed upside down. Really, it was a wonder that she hadn’t killed herself by now. 

Tori felt that Loki could help her immensely, if she could just get up the nerve to ask him. That was why she tried so hard to get on his good side; maybe she could even befriend him. 

“Victoria, are we quite finished?” Loki asked. 

“Yeah, I guess,” she replied. 

“Why doesn’t he get the lecture about calling you ‘Tori?’” Tony asked. 

“Because he’s a prince, and princes do what they want.”

—

**“And princes also happen to know when they are being talked about behind their backs...”**

**Loki stood next to them, a displeased eyebrow raised as he stood ramrod straight, fingers laced behind his back. He met their looks with a cool, steely gaze.**

**“So, Mr. Stark, did you happen to pull my name? If so, please feel free to disregard the $20 limit - we both know my tastes demand a higher premium."**

**He intentionally did not address Tori, partly because he was still irked that she had coordinated this pedantic little holiday activity in the first place and partly because he didn't want to tip her off that he had drawn her name.**

**He kept his gaze firmly locked on Stark, awaiting an answer with mild impatience.**

—

Tori glanced between the two men while Tony took a moment to ponder over his answer as he studied Loki. Loki raised an eyebrow again, his gaze expectant. Before Tony could reply, she spoke up. 

“Nope. These are to remain a secret until Christmas Eve, and the price limit stands,” she interceded, firmly. “It should remain fair, because some of us can’t afford to spend six digits on someone.”

When Loki finally looked at her, she could tell that he almost smirked. Her smile remained bright, and she kept holding onto her temper. She knew that he hoped he could annoy her enough to just call the whole thing off.

“You know,” Tony said. “You  _ could _ try to be a good sport about this.”

By this time, the others had taken notice of the conversation, and Tori could almost feel their frowns, even without turning to look behind her. She sighed softly, which brought Loki’s gaze to her. She could see that he was anticipating something, and she almost laughed at his hopeful expression. 

“I know what you’re trying to do, and it won’t work,” she told him. “You’re participating, buying the gift, and staying within the limit. So just suck it up, buttercup.”

—

**Loki looked past Tori to Tony, narrowing his eyes with disdain.**

**“What, in our history of interactions, makes you think I would even** **_consider_ ** **being a ‘good sport’ about this? Perhaps I should throw you out the window again and see how much of a good sport you find me to be then?”**

**Tony’s responding snarky glare was all the answer he needed, and with a satisfied smirk, he turned his gaze back to Tori. He was about to say something cutting and rude, something that would teach her that** **_he did what he wanted_ ** **and she had no bearing on his behavior. He didn’t really care what she thought of him, as it wasn’t his choice to live among these would-be saviors of the planet he himself has tried to conquer...but, it was still preferable to Asgard’s dungeons. That didn’t mean that he had to indulge them in** **_this_ ** **ridiculous tradition, though.**

**Still, something about the way she looked at him, with those bright eyes and eager, expectant expression, made him reconsider his words.**

**“Fine,” he conceded, looking down at her. “I’ll play along. But I take no responsibility for the consequences of my participation.”**

**He met her eyes, challenging her again.**

—

Tori held Loki’s gaze for a few seconds before she nodded slightly. For just a brief second, she wanted to hug him, but swiftly stomped that feeling down. He wouldn’t appreciate it, and besides that, she had no wish to be tossed out a window. Not that she thought he would actually do that to  _ her, _ but one never knew with him. 

“Thank you, Loki,” she told him, softly. “I appreciate it, and maybe you’ll enjoy it.”

Tony’s eyes rolled so hard that she wanted to kick him in the shin, since his antics only antagonized the Asgardian. Loki still stood perfectly straight, and she could tell that his muscles flexed almost imperceptibly, probably from the effort  _ not  _ to toss Tony out a window anyway. 

“One thing-“ she said, very hesitantly. “Could you draw the line at anything venomous, poisonous or creepy-crawly? Please?”

Tori toyed with the end of a braid in her hair, which had been dyed a vibrant teal color. The color almost clashed with her pale blue eyes, and either trait by itself was striking enough to bemuse someone seeing her for the first time.

—

**“No promises,” Loki smirked, imagining her opening a wrapped gift that contained snakes or spiders or any other thing that would cause her to scream and make a scene.**

**Deep down, he knew he wouldn’t** **_actually_ ** **do it...but it was fun to imagine.**

**He did like the way her unusually colored hair suited her - it made a statement, spoke volumes about her before she said a single word. It intrigued him, if he were honest. And perhaps getting to know her better wouldn’t be the** **_worst_ ** **thing - she was the most tolerable person among the lot of them. And who knew how long he would be obliged to remain among these do-gooder superhumans (plus one God of Thunder)?**

**He knew she wanted instruction in magic - the way she watched him when he cast spells and practiced illusions said as much. And what better way to ingratiate himself to the one person who seemed to give a damn about his being there?**

**“Are you available later this evening? I was going to practice some magical combat, and your teleportation is...”**

**He looked at the ceiling, searching for the words that would adequately describe his impression...**

**“Unruly, at best,” he landed on. “You should have better control of it before you go on any more missions. It’s irresponsible to endanger your group with your imprecision. For their sake, I suppose I should offer you my expertise.”**

—

Tori’s eyes widened slightly at Loki’s offer. She had been reluctant to broach the subject, but now that it was a possibility, her brain went on lockdown. She felt her skin heat up with embarrassment, and pleasure, but couldn’t prevent it. She’d wanted for so long to get help and training on teleporting that it was hard to conceal the eagerness. 

“Uh, wow, I’d really like that- I mean,” she stammered, painfully aware of Tony’s amusement at her attempt to reply to Loki’s offer. “I mean…good grief. Yes. Thank you. I’d be very grateful.”

She rushed through her words, half expecting Loki to withdraw his offer, while at the same time seriously considering kicking Tony in the shin, again. 

Her heart raced while waiting to see whether Loki would tell her never mind, since her response was so disjointed, or if he would overlook it. Tony cleared his throat as he rocked on his heels and watched. Tori did take a risk and elbowed him hard enough to make him wince. 

“Right, I’ll let you two work out the details.” With that, Tony returned to the sitting room while he rubbed his ribs. 

Tori watched for a brief second before looking at Loki again. 

“Thank you, Loki.”

—

**“Don’t thank me yet,” he chuckled, a dismissive look on his face. “I’ll see you at seven in the training gym. Wear your armor.”**

**With that, he turned on his heel and headed out the door. But he did glance back over his shoulder at her before smirking once again and heading to his chambers to escape anymore interaction with the lot of them.**

**Norns, he hoped Tony hadn’t drawn his name. Or the soldier, for that matter. The best option was probably Thor - as much as he hated to admit it.**

**But...what if it was Tori? Before he knew what was happening, he smiled. Then he caught himself, clearing his throat and re-applying the disaffected visage he preferred to wear around this place.**

**But if Tori** **_had_ ** **picked him...**

**He let his mind wander.**

—

Tori stared at the doorway that Loki had just exited through, not believing her luck. He’d offered to help her! 

“Are you sure you want to do that to yourself?” Tony asked, as he returned from the sitting room. He made a point to stay away from her sharp elbows. 

She turned to look at him, unable to keep the happy expression from her face. Tony noticed that her eyes practically shined with excitement. 

“Do you want me to land on you again, at a critical moment?” She asked, one delicate eyebrow arching slightly. “Pepper still isn’t speaking to me.”

Tony fought a laugh at that reminder. “I see your point. Don’t let him bully you.”

— Several days later — 

“Oof.” 

Tori hit the floor hard after a burst of magic hit her in the chest. She laid there, breathless, while she questioned her decision to train with Loki. He’d knocked her on her butt several times, and it  _ hurt _ .

She wore armor that Tony had developed for her; it was lightweight and would protect against conventional weapons, but it barely repulsed Loki’s magic. 

Loki had warned her against using the same pattern when teleporting to avoid attacks, but so far, she’d failed to resist the familiarity. The end result was predictable. 

_ You asked for this. It doesn’t hurt that badly, _ she thought. 

Tori debated just laying there and hoping that Loki would call an end to this session. Finally, after several minutes, he walked over and peered down at her. They’d been working hard for several days by now, and she just noticed how his hair hung down in his face, which was an unusual look for him, since it was almost always neatly brushed back. She had a sudden thought about what she could possibly get for his gift; for days now, she’d had no clue.

—

**“Again.”**

**Loki combed his hair out of his eyes with his fingers, scowling but honestly enjoying himself. She was spunky, he gave her that - but she needed to refine her abilities. She needed basic training...how had she been going on missions like this? But he was happy to see she had improved over the last few days - now she hardly missed her locations, so long as she had line of sight.**

**“This time,” he said, reaching down to help her up. “Try teleporting further away each time. The more distance between your points, the harder it will be for your opponent to reach you.”**

**He smirked at the look she gave him - exhausted, spent. “One more time, then you can rest.”**

—

_ Hecky sexy, _ Tori thought when he combed his hair back and before she reached out to take his hand. 

This was the closest she’d been to Loki ever since he arrived, seeing as he didn’t invite anything more than the briefest of conversation, whether about general subjects or training or missions. She realized the depth of his intelligence almost immediately, which made her want to be near him, but also kept her away. That feeling was so confusing. 

So, with a soft sigh that leaned toward a childish whimper, she let him pull her to her feet. She was tired, each time she teleported sapped just a bit more strength from her. Loki had told her that she needed to increase her stamina, since she never knew how many times she’d have to teleport. 

Tori smoothed her own hair back from her sweaty face and took a deep breath. She was determined not to let him knock her down again, because it was getting old. Plus it hurt when his seidr struck her armor,  _ and _ when she hit that floor.

She felt his eyes on her, so she knew that he was ready and would engage her without warning. He moved and she dodged, flitting around the room, avoiding the strikes that he launched at her and finally realizing what he meant by not sticking to a pattern with her entry points. 

Unbelievably, she managed to surprise him several times but she didn’t dwell in that because he nearly hit her as many times. 

Then she got close enough behind him where she could grab the armor plates on his shoulders and yank him backwards. Her feet landed on the backs of his knees, then she flitted to the front of him, hooked her foot behind one knee and took him to the floor. 

Tori pushed herself up slightly, her hands on his chest and grinned at him, breathless from her effort. 

“Gotcha!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki and Tori find they can't help their feelings for each other...until some unfortunately timed mishaps interrupt them.

**Loki blinked and stared up wide-eyed up from the floor, unable to hide the shock that** **_Tori_ ** **had been able to land him on his back.**

**_Am I out of practice?_ ** **he thought, but the triumphant smile on her face suddenly made him feel less ashamed and more...what was the word? Happy? No, nothing as simple as happiness...but perhaps “amused and proud” were the better adjectives.**

**Not to mention she was straddling his hips, right there on the training room mat. That was making him feel things as well...**

**“Indeed,” Loki said finally, once he was able to reel in his first twelve reactions and reply coolly. “Congratulations, you didn’t end up dead. Now would you like to get off me, or shall we see how quickly the rumor mill churns in the Avengers Tower?** ”

—

Tori couldn’t help but laugh softly at his dry tone. It was such a boost in her confidence to actually manage to take him down while not dying in the process. 

“Well, the rumors wouldn’t really bother me, but  _ your _ reputation might suffer a blow,” she teased, while the ends of her braids brushed against his face and neck. “But, alas, I’m too exhausted right now to test that theory.” 

She rolled away and laid beside him while they both stared at the ceiling. That Loki didn’t immediately get up surprised her somewhat, since he was so fastidious about ‘undesirable gunk’ getting on his leathers or armor. The training room floor surely had an incalculable amount of that. 

“I really want a shower, food...and maybe a nap,” she commented when he still didn’t move. “But I’m not sure if I can make it back upstairs.” 

Another soft laugh escaped her when she thought about how they’d both ended up on the floor. Oh, she would remember this day for the rest of her life.

“I could try to teleport us upstairs,” she offered. “It’d have to be to my room, though, since I don’t know the layout of yours.”

—

**Loki turned to look at her, still on the floor of the gym. Normally, he wouldn’t want to stay on the dirty mat any longer than necessary, but having been bested by her...he found he wasn’t especially eager to get up.**

**“That’s an excellent idea, if you think you’re up to it. I wasn’t aware you could teleport others...”**

**If he were honest, the idea of being teleported by someone who was less-than-proficient with their abilities did give him pause...but she may need to use this skill sometime in a much more stressful situation than training. And if anyone could save themselves after being teleported into the middle of a wall, it was him.**

**Reaching out, he took her hand in his and swallowed a bit too hard as they made contact, still staring at the ceiling.**

**“Ready when you are.”**

—

Tori nodded and squeezed his fingers slightly. After the briefest span of sensory deprivation, they landed on her bed, feet on the pillows and heads at the bottom. She raised her head to check their position before letting it drop back onto the coverlet. 

“Oh, well, at least we hit the bed,” she sighed as she squeezed his hand again. “Ya know, teleporting with you wasn’t as difficult as I thought it would be, even though I only practiced with my hedgehog when I could hide from my parents.”

Tori propped on an elbow and looked at him, still smiling about her feat of taking him down. She noticed his confusion, though, but before he could ask, she went on. 

“It’s a small animal, about so big.” She made a circle with her fingers. “Has lots of little spines on it. Cutest thing, feels funny in your hands, but doesn’t stick you, unlike porcupines. Anyway, he was prickly, but liked having his tummy rubbed.”

After a moment, she spoke again, her voice soft as she fought sleep now that she was still. 

“If you should ever come across a porcupine, don’t touch it, though. The little bastards  _ hurt.” _

She became quiet then, and just enjoyed the ending to a grueling training session, her small victory,  _ and _ that she’d teleported with Loki without flubbing it too badly.

“Hey. Are you having any luck with your Secret Santa?” She asked, breaking the silence once more.

—

**Loki let out a sigh of relief as they re-appeared in her room - on her** **_bed,_ ** **no less. Perhaps she was more adept with her abilities than he had given her credit for. He had been ready to pull them out of a wall or get them to safety as they fell toward the concrete if she had teleported them outside the Tower.**

**Then her question about the Secret Santa...**

**"Eh...still trying to decide what to get," he admitted, though he wouldn't tell her who it was for. "My chosen giftee is...a bit of a mystery still. Perhaps just a gift certificate to that coffee shop about a block from here."**

**He suddenly realized she had laced her fingers with his yet again...his heart pounded a bit. This simple level of intimacy was unusual, and he wasn't entirely certain how to react to it. But he certainly didn't** **_dislike_ ** **it.**

**Tentatively, he stroked the palm of her hand gently, eyes still fixed on her ceiling, anxious to see how she reacted.**

—

When Loki stroked her palm, Tori forced herself to breathe normally and not tremble at the almost imperceptible movement. While growing up, she’d craved a gentle touch from her parents, or anyone, really. It wasn’t until she left home that she had the opportunity to seek out friends or even boyfriends, someone who would hug her and mean it. 

There was something always missing, though. She made friends, but it wasn’t an easy task. She always felt that there should be  _ more. _ There were good times with them, but nothing ever really soothed her, or filled the emptiness in her heart. At least not until she found the Avengers, or rather, they found her. They brought her in, made her one of them, and touched her heart. 

Then Loki arrived, and she sensed something familiar about him and his behavior. That drew her toward him, but his spiny exterior was even more entrenched than hers had been. She felt a kinship, but wasn’t sure whether the walls he’d built around himself could ever be toppled. 

She wanted to ask about his experiences, wanted to know some of the things he’d seen, wanted to  _ know _ things that had  _ made _ him. She especially wanted to get past the prickles and get under his armor, figuratively, and even literally. 

Tori took a deep breath before squeezing his hand gently; then her thumb moved to lightly rub across his in a very subtle version of thumb wrestling. Her lips curled a bit when Loki continued the interaction, and she thought how soothing it was, even if they were both still in their sweaty armor. After a few minutes, her eyelids got heavy, even though she fought hard not to drift off to sleep. She didn’t want to ruin this moment, as she was unsure if it would ever happen again.

—

**Loki gently touched and stroked her hand, dragging his fingertips along Tori's soft skin.**

**It could be moving too fast, but…**

—

Tori watched out of the corner of her eye as Loki moved from just rubbing her palm to stroking the back of her hand and then the part of her wrist that wasn’t covered by the vambrace of her armor. It wasn’t something that she would have expected from him, so she was thrilled, and (to be honest) a little uneasy, since she didn’t know if he was just toying with her. She hoped that it wasn’t the case, but prepared herself for that possibility. 

**—**

**Loki sat himself up on his elbow before he could talk himself out of it. He met Tori's eyes - half-hooded with exhaustion and something he could only assume was the same desire he felt. His gaze turned down to her lips, parted in a sensuous gasp, then back to her eyes...then back to her lips...**

—-

When Loki raised up to look down at her, Tori’s heartbeat began pounding in her ears, then her eyes met his while he studied her face. Long strands of his hair, which had curled slightly during training, fell forward again, giving him a softer look. His eyes were a lovely green, like emeralds, and she knew that they had seen things that could only be imagined by a mere mortal. 

**—**

**He leaned downward slowly, breath held in his chest, his nose brushing hers as he pressed his lips to hers, eyes closing.**

**She was so** **_soft,_ ** **and the smell of her skin filled his nostrils - the efforts of their exercise were apparent, but not at all unpleasant. He kissed her again, and again, interlacing his fingers with hers, nervous about moving too quickly but unable to slow himself down.**

—

She noticed that he had closed his eyes just before his lips met hers. He was tentative at first, but then he  _ kept _ kissing her. Tori reached up to brush his hair back, then tilted her head to the side when his mouth moved to the underside of her jaw, then to her ear. 

It was then that they discovered that their vambraces were locked together; when Loki pulled back in order to try to disengage his armor from hers, a talisman in one of her braids caught in his hair  _ and _ the vambrace on his other arm locked with her shoulder plate. 

“I’m sorry...I’m sorry….” Tori didn’t know whether to laugh or cry at that point.

—

**Loki laughed nervously as he disentangled their armor, the moment thoroughly ruined. Taking a heavy breath, he stood up once he could, smiling warmly.**

**"I should go - best we wash up before dinner. If you'd like, we can go over today’s session in the mess hall. Meet me in an hour?"**

**His heart thundered in his chest, adrenaline coursing through just remembering their kiss. But had it been too much? Their awkward wardrobe malfunction had interrupted the moment...and now he felt quite off-balance. He did his best to maintain his composure.**

**"Right...I'll see you then," he said with a small wave, then he strolled out the door and closed it behind him.**

**As soon as he was out of sight, he closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to quell the excitement that was rising in his chest and relax the giddy smile that insisted on spreading across his face as he made his way to his quarters.**

—

Tori thoroughly enjoyed Loki’s kiss, and was lost in the moment until their armor betrayed them by creating a ridiculously embarrassing situation. She sat up when he stood, ready to protest his sudden departure, but his warm smile caught her off guard. Then he was gone without a backward glance, leaving her a bit crushed. 

She brushed her hair back before running her fingers over her thin braids. With a sigh, she pressed a button on her wrist to retract her armor, (an unexpected touch that Tony had put in), then slowly began to remove the braids. She put the talismans in a small pile on the coverlet, and when she was done, combed her fingers through the tangles. Finally, after a long shower, she dried her hair, but didn’t braid it this time, just left it to flow in loose waves around her shoulders. 

Tori sat on her bed again, cross legged as she studied each of the items she usually wore in her hair. They were from places she’d visited, and were mostly stones that she found unusual, which she crafted into something she could wear. Some were gifts, but each held a sentimental value, even if someone else thought it silly. With another sigh, she put them into her jewelry box before leaving for the mess hall. 

She wasn’t sure if Loki would continue what he’d started, as it seemed that maybe he’d had second thoughts, but she truly hoped that he would. If only she’d taken her armor off as soon as they were in her room. 

_ So close, so close, _ she thought.  _ But then, close only counts in horseshoes. _

—

**Loki had showered quickly, but re-dressing took quite a bit more time. He kept vacillating between wearing something Asgardian - sure to impress Tori with its detail and grandeur - or something more approachable and casually Midgardian...which he didn’t feel was grand enough. Finally, he settled on a green Asgardian tunic with gold detail, and a pair of tailored Midgardian jeans with simple but classy black leather boots. He also braided two locks of hair from his temples, adorning each with a golden bead from Asgard at its end.**

**With a quick nod at his own reflection, satisfied with his appearance, he made his way to the mess hall to meet with Tori.**

**On the way, he began to see the looks he was getting from the other residents and employees of the tower...apparently this abrupt change from only wearing black and green leather wasn’t going unnoticed. He tried to scoff at them - what business was it of theirs what he wore? But as he got closer to the mess hall, he began to worry.**

**Would Tori be put off by it? Should he go back and change?**

**Before he could make the choice to turn around and head back to his room, he saw a bright teal head of hair heading toward him out of the corner of his eye.**

**_Well...too late now..._ **

**“You’re right on time,” he said haughtily, putting his hands behind his back and standing as straight as he could. He couldn’t let his internal uncertainty show. He had a reputation to maintain.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki learns one of Tori’s secrets. Then he gains an accomplice to mischief making, and maybe even an apprentice. Tony really should lock his car keys up.

When Tori exited the elevator on her way to the mess hall, she saw Loki waiting for her. He didn’t see her right away, but she could tell that he was uncomfortable about something, and it struck her that he was indeed having regrets about what had happened earlier. It was a tiny dagger poised at her desire to get closer to him, even if it had to be as friends. 

She did notice that he wasn’t wearing his signature leathers, and had put two golden beads in his hair, a look that surprised her, and apparently almost everyone else around them, especially the women. She decided to get to his side as quickly as she could in order to head off any unusually curious females (stake her claim, so to speak), because she had no desire to see him speaking with anyone else. 

“Hi,” she said, softly, after he greeted her. 

She wasn’t going to mention his clothing, but the part-Midgardian/part-Asgardian style suited him perfectly. His posture remained tall and regal, even when he followed her through the line for food, and then to an out-of-the-way table. They’d only been seated for a few minutes when Tony sat down across from her. 

“Alright if I join you two?” He asked, his eyes practically glinting with mischief. “Unless it’s a date or something…?”

He didn’t wait for a reply, just leaned back in his chair so that he could watch them both. 

“You’ve done something to your hair,” he commented, his eyes flicking between them. “And so have _you.”_

Then the table rattled suddenly, and Tony sat straight up when Tori’s boot found his shin. To his credit, he didn’t make a sound, but grabbed his coffee cup as he got up. 

“I just remembered that I have a call to make.”

With that, he limped away, while Tori glared after him.

—

**Loki burst out laughing, thrilled at Tori’s spunk with the obnoxious Mr. Stark. He took a sip of his water to calm down a bit before daring to speak.**

**“Tori, you fascinate me,” he said with a chuckle. But then he was curious...**

**“How did Stark discover you, anyway? What led to you becoming a part of this** **_illustrious_ ** **team?”**

**He watched her keenly, taking another sip of water, waiting for her reply.**

—

When Loki laughed, Tori’s gaze snapped back to him. The amusement on his face made her catch her breath; she’d never seen such a genuine smile from him, even when he was up to mischief. 

Then his question sank in, and she looked down at her plate, and blushed. The question came up from time to time, of course, but it wasn’t any easier to answer. She wondered if she could avoid it, although she didn’t want to risk lying to him. She knew that as the God of Lies, he’d know immediately if she did, even if she told him a half-truth. 

She looked around the hall, and saw Tony talking to some employees. He met her gaze, as if he knew that she was looking at him. He winked at her, and she gave him a tiny smile. Then she turned back to Loki.

 _I’ll apologize to him later,_ she thought, feeling guilty, as she’d kicked him before she could stop herself. 

“He...he caught me stealing,” she murmured. “Well, he _and_ Steve caught me.”

—

**“Stealing?” Loki’s eyebrows shot up to his hairline, a bemused grin spreading across his face.**

**Loki could feel excitement rising in his chest. Being the God of Mischief, he’d certainly enjoyed his fair share of “secretly borrowing things from others with no intention of returning them”, usually from Odin or Thor. But this bit of information about Tori had him intrigued - he didn’t have her pegged as a troublemaker, despite her brashness and colorful appearance.**

**They might actually have more in common than he’d thought.**

**“Well...now I** **_have_ ** **to know. Stealing** **_what?”_ **

—

She should have known that he’d want details. Almost everyone else who knew about her wanted details. Then once they had the whole story, they’d look at her differently. 

“I’m not particularly proud of it,” she said, quietly, unable to meet his eyes.

She pushed her tray away, her appetite gone. Tori placed her hands flat on the table, trying to stop the trembling as she gathered the courage to tell him. 

“Food. I stole food from the kitchen,” she finally admitted, and fought the shame that she still carried with her. 

She almost teleported back to her room, not wanting to see his reaction, nor his pity. It took everything in her not to leave him alone at that table. 

“And don’t you _dare_ pity me!”

—

**“Pity you? Of course not. In fact, I’m impressed.”**

**Loki was surprised to hear she had taken to stealing for sustenance, but the way she drew back into herself after the admission instantly convinced him not to question** **_why,_ ** **but more** **_how._ **

**“You mean to tell me you snuck into** ** _Stark_** **_Tower?_** **No wonder they recruited you on the spot - there aren’t many humans who can do that, super-powered or not. That’s part of the reason why they ‘recruited’** ** _me_** **as well.”**

**He smirked and gave her a sidelong glance, taking a bite of the food in front of him.**

**“I had to disguise myself, a massive portal machine, and my entire team of aides as maintenance for the building and take the service elevator to the roof. If Stark had been** **_here_ ** **instead of on that failing airship, it never would have worked. But that was all part of the plan.”**

**He, too, wasn’t especially proud of why he broke into Stark Tower back when he was under the influence of that purple fiend...but he wanted to open up with Tori, if only to try and get her to do so in return.**

**He pushed one of his braids behind his ear and smiled conspiratorially, leading forward with a glint of mischief in his eyes.**

**“Wonder if there’s anything we could try to ‘borrow’ from Stark now? Any trinkets you had your eye on?”**

—

Tori stared at him in surprise when he didn’t ask for details about her admission. That had never happened before, and she was unsure what to make of that. Then he tucked his hair behind his ear and leaned toward her with a grin and a sparkle in his eyes. 

_He wasn’t going to ask._

She was both relieved and suspicious, knowing that he’d likely want details at one point. His next question caught her off guard due to the abrupt subject change. Her brows furrowed slightly in confusion. 

“Trinkets?” She repeated, her thoughts running a mile a minute, before she laughed softly. “When I first got here, I desperately wanted to try one of his suits, but knew that Jarvis would scream bloody murder and lock the whole shebang down…”

Then it was her turn to grin.

“How would you fancy a drive through the city in one of his cars? I can nab a set of keys...or I could grab a couple pairs of his sunglasses. He has so many he wouldn’t notice.”

Tori smiled at him, then, excited for a little misadventure.

—

 **“That sounds** **_perfect,”_ ** **he chuckled, glancing over at Tony.**

 **Stark saw the look Loki gave him, and was immediately on alert. He** **_knew_ ** **that look - and it never ended well for him. Loki just smirked and leaned closer to Tori, whispering in her ear.**

**“You get the keys and sunglasses. I’ll distract him and meet you in the garage in 10 minutes.”**

**He made sure to lean in close enough that his breath would tickle her ear, and he could see the goosebumps rise on her flesh as he spoke.**

**Oh, he was going to** **_enjoy_ ** **this...**

**With one last smile, he stood up and walked over to where Stark and his employees were sitting, then with a shit-eating grin, he stared Tony down.**

**“Mr. Stark, I’ve discovered a flaw in the mechanics of your latest suit. It would be a** **_shame_ ** **if someone were to exploit that bit of knowledge, wouldn’t it?”**

**“The hell?!” Tony stood up, and the rest of his employees suddenly had somewhere else they needed to be right away. “There’s no flaw! You have any idea how many of those suits I’ve made? The Mach 78 is perfect!”**

**“Oh, it is? Well then...carry on.”**

**Loki started to walk away, beaming at Tori and mouthing** **_Three...two...one.._ ** **.**

**“Hey wait!” Tony stormed up behind him. “What flaw? What the hell are you getting at, Reindeer Games?”**

**With a wink to Tori, he turned back to Tony. “Well, for the sake of the team, I suppose I should show you. Let’s head to the lab, then.”**

**They left the mess hall with Tony still vehemently denying there could be anything wrong with his handiwork.**

—

Tori watched Loki while he spoke to Tony. Whatever he said had her boss jumping to his feet, and then following him. When Loki gave her a slight nod, she teleported to Tony’s closet, with the only difficulty being what to choose for Loki. Then she popped into the garage, opened the key rack, and quickly made a selection. 

Just as she settled into the driver’s seat and opened the garage door, Loki joined her and buckled in. He accepted the glasses that she handed him, and she thought that he looked especially dashing in them. 

“Here we go,” she giggled, before putting the car into gear. 

She was giddy from meeting Loki’s challenge, and wondered how Tony would react. She hoped he wouldn’t be _too_ mad, but she felt that an outing would do them both good. 

_”Freedom!”_ she whooped, while expertly avoiding traffic. 

She didn’t know where they were headed, but there were countless possibilities.

—

**Loki whooped and hollered along with her as they tore out of the underground garage and into the streets of New York. He was impressed by how easily she maneuvered between the other cars and avoided obstacles - perhaps her teleportation powers also enhanced her reaction time. He watched her as she drove, seeing the joy on her face as her hair blew in the wind, and when she looked over at him...**

**He turned away. He had been staring...and he felt heat flush his cheeks. He** **_blushed_ ** **.**

**_Norns, what is WRONG with me?!_ **

**Still, he couldn’t help that sense of elation as they finally got past the city limits She really opened it up, charging down the rural byways at well past the speed limit, and he gripped the seat as they sped along the tree-lined, curving roads.**

—

When Loki joined in with her war cries, she was in disbelief at first. Whoever would have thought that the reserved prince would shout for joy after stealing, (uh, _borrowing_ ), an expensive car from Tony Stark, no less? Then she almost had a laughing fit when she realized that it was _because_ they’d stolen (uh, _borrowed_ ) the car and hadn’t been stopped. 

It felt so _good_ to be out of the Tower for a while. It had been some time since she’d had a chance to just go somewhere on impulse. She glanced over at her companion to make sure he was comfortable, and caught him staring. 

“Are you okay?” She asked, after a moment. 

She didn’t want to make him uneasy if he wasn’t used to traveling in a car, but suspected that wasn’t the reason. That thought made her clutch the steering wheel a little too tightly, and she forced herself to relax. Her insides started doing flips at the knowledge that perhaps he _wasn’t_ regretting that kiss.

—

 **"Fantastic," he responded with a smile, adjusting the sunglasses on his face. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves - this was** **_fun!_ ** **He hadn't had** **_fun_ ** **in so long, it felt almost foreign to him.**

**The sun was almost set below the mountains in the distance, and the convertible wasn't going to keep them warm at night. Loki leaned toward her and yelled over the sound of the wind.**

**"We should put the top up!"**


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A brief stint of freedom comes to an end. Tori realizes that there could be consequences, and draws closer to Loki, who assures her that everything will be fine.

With a nod, Tori found a safe place to pull over so that she could raise the top on the car. She wasn’t confident enough to try it while in motion, and didn’t want to take the chance of wrecking or injuring Loki. It took a moment for her to find the control, then Loki helped lock it down once she showed him the clamps near the visor. 

He seemed to be having as good a time as she was, maybe even better, if the smiles were any indication. He was so relaxed that Tori felt it was worth the risk of drawing Tony’s anger, because if anyone had less freedom than she, or the others, it was Loki. 

Before she pulled back onto the roadway, she instructed him on how to work the heater. 

“In case you get cold,” she told him, with a smile. 

Just as she started to put the car in gear, his hand closed over hers, catching her by surprise. She glanced over, questioningly.

—

**Loki met her eyes, searching for something. Attraction? Affection? Repulsion?**

**Surely, not that last one. Not now.**

**He could see curiosity and anticipation. And this had been weighing on him since earlier. In the dimming light of day, he swallowed hard and forced himself to ask what he had been holding in.**

**“Tori...could I kiss you again?”**

—

Tori met Loki’s eyes when he asked if he could kiss her. Her heart lurched at the question, and she recognized the uncertainty in his gaze. Almost like he expected to be pushed away. She knew that feeling from experience, and realized that they had more in common than she ever would have imagined. 

She unbuckled her seatbelt, moved the steering wheel to make room, then adjusted her position so that she could comfortably lean across the console and get closer to him. 

“You don’t have to ask,” she murmured, her eyes locked with his.  _ ”Ever. _ ”

With that, she pressed her lips to his, eager to grant his request. One hand went to the side of his face, where she tucked his braid behind his ear. He actually shuddered at her touch, so she gently stroked his throat as he kissed her, and felt him shudder again. She’d never elicited such a reaction from a man before, and it gave her a confidence boost, along with a sense of power.

—

**Loki nearly purred under her touch, leaning into the kiss and drinking her in. The contact felt electric, and he was soon lost in the sensation of her hand on his neck and her eagerness to continue.**

**They kissed for what felt like hours - Loki couldn’t bring himself to stop. Every time they were about to part, either he or she would pull the other back in with a gentle nuzzle or delicate pull forward.**

**By the time they finally parted, they were breathing heavily and it was dark outside.**

**“Perhaps...we should head back...” Loki sighed, his forehead still pressed to hers. “I suppose there’s going to be no hiding what’s going on between us...not after this.”**

**He chuckled and grinned, looking her deep in the eyes.**

**“Stark is probably going to throw a fit. He gets rather prickly if** **_he’s_ ** **not the matchmaker, I’ve noticed.”**

—

Tori nodded but didn’t pull away; by this time, she was nearly in his lap. She was loath to head back to reality, but now she knew where she stood with Loki, and was elated. She ran her fingers along his cheek before reluctantly settling back into her seat. After adjusting the steering wheel and seat again, she turned the car toward home. 

Several hours later, she and Loki exited the elevator into the common room. She hoped that the others had already gone to bed, since it was now close to midnight. The lights were off, which was a good sign, and she grinned at Loki in relief. That feeling lasted only for a nanosecond, though. 

“Well, what have we here.” Tony’s voice stopped them in their tracks. 

Tori caught her breath, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. 

“Oh, hey-y-“ she squeaked.

“What have you two been up to?” Tony asked, as Steve joined him. 

“N-nothing,” she replied. 

“Are you sure?” Steve asked. 

Tori glanced up at Loki, then realized that they both had Tony’s sunglasses perched on top of their heads. She nudged Loki as she reached up for the glasses she had, while he did the same. She tried to hand hers to him while he tried to pass his over, and she ended up with both pairs, which she hid behind her back. Something then hit the floor, and she jumped slightly. 

_ Oh, crap, _ she thought, while she nonchalantly kicked the car keys under the sofa.

—

**“So** **_that’s_ ** **where my Maserati went...” Tony glared at Loki harshly, hardly even looking at Tori. Loki was grateful for that.**

**“I’m surprised you noticed,” Loki said, snarking. “I thought borrowing the vehicle for a few hours would barely register on your radar. How are the repairs to the Mach 78 going, by the way?”**

**“There WERE no repairs! It was all fine, you lying son-of-a—“**

**“Language,” Steve admonished, and Loki couldn’t help but snort. That earned him the ire of Captain America himself, who approached with a no-nonsense, angry-yet-more-disappointed expression.**

**“It’s one thing to pull these hyjjnx alone. It’s another when you bring one of our team members into it with you. Especially someone so new.”**

**Loki just grinned at him, meeting his eye. As if the star-spangled do-gooder could actually do anything to** **_him._ ** **But...he did have Tori to think about. So, with a defeated sigh, he put his hands up and gave Steve an apologetic look.**

**“You’re right, Mr. America. I should strive to be less of a terrible influence on the helpless, impressionable youths you’ve brought into this organization. I’ll be more careful in the future,** **_I promise.”_ **

**It took everything he had to keep a straight face while he said that** .

—

Tori watched the interaction between Loki, Steve, and Tony nervously. She really didn’t anticipate that Tony would be so angry with them for borrowing a car. The tension was palpable, and she wasn’t sure what to do, although she unconsciously reached for Loki’s hand, as if seeking protection. 

She knew that Loki was insincere in his reply to Steve, and honestly had to choke back a giggle, which would have been highly inappropriate, and would have turned their ire on her. Now she felt guilty that all the blame had fallen on Loki’s shoulders. 

“Did you at least fill the tank?” Tony asked her. 

“Yes, sir,” Tori replied, quietly. 

She waited to see if there would be any censure...but what if he  _ fired _ her? Now she was on the verge of panic. 

“Alright, you’re dismissed,” Tony finally said. “Go to bed and get some rest.”

Tori wanted to raid the kitchen for something to eat, since she hadn’t eaten her dinner before Loki had suggested the joyride. Now, though, she didn’t want to risk it. So she let Loki lead her down the hallway to their rooms. 

“Those two, together, will be a massive headache,” Tony commented.

He looked at Steve, and couldn’t help but grin slightly. Steve’s expression remained disapproving, though, and he planned to talk to Tori, since he didn’t like that type of headache.

—

**Loki and Tori headed down the hall, Loki full of mirth. But he could tell Tori was uncomfortable.**

**“Aw, what’s the matter?” He ribbed, giving her a friendly, light punch in the arm. “We got off easy! No harm done. Why do you look upset?”**

**Perhaps he had pushed her a bit far? As he thought, she didn’t seem like the “troublemaker” type. Now that he thought about it, grand theft auto** **_was_ ** **quite a leap from stealing food…**

—

Tori clutched at Loki’s hand as they made their way down the hall. The mischief maker appeared to be taking everything in stride; he frequently antagonized the engineer, so it was nothing new to him. 

“What if he fires me?” She asked, softly. 

Sneaking into the mess hall for leftovers was a far cry from taking a car that was worth more money than she’d see in a lifetime. If she were fired, she’d lose her safe, warm room, lose the full kitchen, and lose her friends. She couldn’t bear for that to happen. She didn’t really expect a reply from Loki, but she knew that she’d be called on the carpet at some point. 

Once they reached her room, she sat down on the bed and kicked her shoes off. The two pairs of sunglasses went onto the nightstand, reminders of their brief escape from the Tower. 

With a sigh, she laid down and patted the space beside her, indicating that she wanted her partner in crime to join her.

—

**“Tori, you’re a super-powered human - it is much more in their interest to keep you here and happy than it is to let you loose on the world. They won’t fire you any more than they’ll let me off their radar.”**

**He sat down on the bed next to her, looking back over his shoulder.**

**“There’s something I’ve been wondering...why did you try to steal food from** **_Stark Tower?_ ** **Surely there were easier targets.”**

**He saw her watch him nervously, but...he hoped she was comfortable talking to him about this. He felt closer and closer to her every moment they were together - he wanted her to be able to trust him.**

**Which was strange...he’d never wanted someone to truly trust him before.**

**Somehow, it felt right with her.**

—

Tori stared at the ceiling while she considered Loki’s words. She hadn’t meant to get on Tony’s radar, which essentially put her on  _ SHIELD’S _ radar. She could be watched more closely, and also be restricted from sensitive missions. They probably had a method of keeping her from teleporting if necessary. That scared her, now that Loki had unwittingly pointed out that it would be in their best interest to keep her close at hand. 

“I came to the Tower simply to ask for a job application,” she said. “I’d lost my job, and didn’t have much in savings. I’d paid rent and utilities already, which left a small amount for food. As I was leaving, I passed by the mess hall, and the food smelled so good. I didn’t set out to steal anything, but the thought struck me that a big kitchen like that would have food that they’d simply throw away at the end of the day.”

She paused to consider her next words, and glanced at him to see if his expression had changed to pity. She couldn’t stand to be pitied, especially after the way her parents had treated her when she was young. She was independent, made her own choices, and didn’t want anyone feeling sorry for her. 

“It was late in the day, I hadn’t eaten yet, so I took a quick stroll through the mess, just to get a picture of the layout. Then, when they closed, I popped in and took a small meal. I reasoned that they’d never miss it. I did that just a few times, with no trouble, but I didn’t know about Jarvis.”

Tori sat up then, and shifted herself so that she could lean back against the headboard. Her fingers moved nervously until she began to pull at a loose cuticle. 

“You know how you’d discovered that I used a pattern when I teleported around a space? I wish I’d known it then, since Jarvis was able to discern when I’d show up. One night Tony and Steve were waiting for me, and I was too frightened to teleport out.”

—

**Loki nodded and watched her with a small smile. A creature of convenience, of patterns...a creature of survival. It was the privilege of those who needn't worry about** **_continuing to live_ ** **that they could study and learn and advance.**

**She was still adjusting to that, it seemed.**

**He laid down next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, facing her.**

**"Well I, for one, am glad they caught you."**

**He kissed her softly, comfortingly, in a way that he tried his best to convey that she could feel safe with him. In the way he would hope someone would kiss** **_him_ ** **once he shared his secrets.** **_If_ ** **he shared his secrets...**

**_Norns..._ **

**He kissed her again, then pulled back and stared into her eyes, brushing away a lock of hair.**

**"Thank you for telling me."**

—

Tori smiled up at him, although her eyes were still troubled. She reached up to finger the bead in his hair before tucking the braid behind his ear. Then she tentatively combed her fingertips through his hair to smooth it back. 

“Thank you for listening to the whole story. I can’t tell you how many people turned away from me. Ones who I thought were friends. You’d have thought I tried to steal a nuclear weapon or something,” she continued, then gave a low giggle. “Wanna know something else? After about the third time I got into the kitchen, I wondered whether I actually  _ could _ get close to a suit. But I reconsidered because I really didn’t want to end up in a SHIELD jail. I’ve heard horror stories about the RAFT.”

She sighed then while stroking the arm he had across her waist. After a moment, she took his hand and laced her fingers through his. She raised them both so that she could flatten her hand against his, palm to palm, fingers to fingers. His hand was large, especially when compared to hers, but was also graceful. 

“Loki? Would you stay with me? We don’t have to do anything, I just want to be close tonight. I’m sure I’ll find out tomorrow what Steve’s punishment will be, and Tony will likely add something on for kicking him.”

She was nervous about the upcoming reckoning, although she now knew it was doubtful that they’d send her away. Steve would find something that she disliked doing, like KP or something similar.

—

**Loki chuckled, snuggling in to her. “I’d be happy to stay with you,” he said earnestly. “Truth be told, I’d much rather be here with you than by myself.”**

**He squeezed her close to him, getting comfortable and preparing to settle in for the night. Her warmth and her scent were heady, and he wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with her in his arms.**

**“And don’t worry about Stark and Rogers. They’ll overlook these transgressions; you are too valuable to give up, believe me.”**

**He kissed her cheek and smiled, nuzzling her gently. This was almost too good to be true.**

—

Tori took a deep breath when Loki wrapped her in his embrace, and then she relaxed completely. Her eyes fluttered closed at the feel of him nuzzling into the curve of her neck, which also served to keep her pliant. 

She felt safe and warm with his arms around her, which kept her snug against his chest. She belonged there, held against him, with his lips on her skin. Sleep started to overtake her, although she tried to stay awake so that she could enjoy every second of his being there. 

_ Mine. _

The thought came unbidden as she hovered between wakefulness and sleep. She had no idea where it came from, but it felt right. Finally, she drifted off, at peace at least until the morning, when she found out what awaited her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve puts Tori to the test, while Loki tries to deal with the urge to step in and protect her. It’s a feeling he hasn’t experienced in a while.

—Two days before the Christmas Gift Exchange—

 **  
Loki stood stiffly in the Observation Area of the training room, hands held behind his back as he watched Tori and Steve Rogers prepare to spar. He had been helping Tori with her teleportation for several weeks now...though he spent much more time with her** **_outside_ ** **of training these days. They were officially “an item”, as Stark had called it, though Loki still didn’t quite understand the term. And frankly, he didn’t care what the others thought about it - all he cared about was Tori.**

**As she stretched and limbered up on the mat below, wearing the armor Stark had designed for her, it felt strange not being down there with her...he felt like he should be by her side, not relegated to spectating. But she would have to go on missions without him, so it was for the best that she learned to fight independently.**

**Still, it rankled.**

**“Everyone ready?” He heard Cap’s voice crackle through the speaker flatly. Tori stood and looked up at the team in the Observation Room and gave Loki a little wave and smile. In spite of himself, he waved and smiled back, mouthing “Good luck,” then bristled when Stark snorted at him.**

**“Watch, yourself,** **_mortal._ ** **Just because I’m now in a relationship does NOT mean I’m any less willing to fill your bed with spiders.”**

**Tony just rolled his eyes and rang the bell to start combat. Loki squeezed his hands nervously out of sight of everyone else.**

**_You’ve got this, Tori. I know you can do this._ **

—

Tori turned her attention from a tense Loki so that she could concentrate on Steve. It had been almost a week since she and Loki had gone on their joyride, and she was thankful that Steve had waited until he was no longer angry (well, _less_ angry) before setting up the sparring match to test her skill level now. 

Idly, she wondered if her armor would repel the vibranium of the shield, not that she intended on letting it hit her, but one never knew. Although the metal was very rare, it was not inconceivable that there were others with some, so it never hurt to train against it. 

That morning, she’d eaten a larger breakfast than normal since she knew she’d be getting a workout. Now that food set heavily in her stomach due to her nerves. She’d also taken the time to braid her hair securely, with no talismans, so that it wouldn’t get into her face. 

Her full attention snapped back to Steve when he moved first. He usually fought hand to hand, using his shield for long distance strikes, along with any available weapons. This time, though, he pulled the shield from his back and hurled it toward her. She ‘ported around the room to avoid it and also to get close to him when he didn’t have it. The training room had been reinforced to keep the shield from damaging any vital structures, so it bounced off walls and columns before returning to him. 

As the skirmish continued, Tori continued to dodge the shield and unbelievably started noticing a pattern in Steve’s offense and defense. Testing this new knowledge, she managed twice to get behind him, but he didn’t go down when her feet landed on the backs of his knees. He still didn’t change his pattern though.

Finally, Tori ‘ported just behind the shield on its return trip to him, and grabbed the edges before disappearing with it. Steve stumbled only once when it hit him in the back, then it appeared in front again, carrying her along while she still held on to the edges. Another quick ‘port had them disappearing once more, and when she popped back in, she rode it in like a surfboard until it came to a rest a few feet from him. 

“Captain,” she said, quietly, with an exaggerated bow. _Cool it, Katniss._

—

 **Loki stormed down to the training area once their skirmish was over. He was dealing with myriad emotions - pride at seeing how well Tori was controlling her powers AND that she had disarmed Captain America himself, relief that she hadn’t been injured in an accident (those happened all the time in training), and fury that Steve had actually tried to** **_hit her with that fucking shield._ ** **He could have cut her in half if she hadn’t become so adept. It was reckless and stupid and he was hellbent on giving the good soldier a piece of his mind.**

 **“Rogers!” He yelled as he reached the training mat. “What in the Nine are you doing?! You could have** **_killed_ ** **her! That wasn’t training, that was** **_dangerous!”_ **

**He reached Tori and put an arm around her waist, leaning down and speaking softly.**

**_“You_ ** **did exceptionally, darling. Are you alright?”**

—

Tori leaned against Loki, with a grin at Steve, and then flipped the shield with her foot so that she could pick it up and give it back to its owner. Steve’s expression was impassive when he looked at Loki, but she could see just the slightest crinkle in his brow when he turned his gaze to her. 

“Are we done?” She asked. 

“We’re done.”

With a nod, she took Loki’s hand and led him away from the temptation of confronting Steve. The Asgardian growled low under his breath, and she stopped in front of the elevator that would take them back to the Avengers living level. 

“Hey.” She turned to face him before having her armor retract, and took both his hands. “I’m alright. You know that I’ll have to do things on my own while in the field, and that you won’t always be there to help protect me. This is what we do, right? He had to push me to my limit, and I had no intention of getting hit by that shield.”

Tori reached up to grasp his collar, tugging him down so that she could press her forehead against his. She was tired, sweaty, and had worked off her breakfast and was ready for another one.

“Besides, he used no less than two patterns in throwing that thing,” she giggled. “Maybe he could take lessons from you! Now, let’s go upstairs. I am very, _very_ hungry!”

—

 **Loki hated how nonchalantly she brushed off the reckless training. Yes, she would be in dangerous situations - that was her job (** **_their_ ** **job), but, if this were** **_Asgard_ ** **, the warrior training would be much more controlled. It would ensure that trainees would not risk being harmed by each other - that was the** **_civilized_ ** **way to do things!**

 **But when she mentioned that she had picked up on Captain Predictable’s patterns, he smirked. “You are quite a good student, Tori,” he sighed, letting it go. No use in bringing this conflict to a boil now. But he certainly wouldn’t** **_forget_ ** **it either.**

**“Yes...let us get some more food. What do you feel like eating?”**

—

Once upstairs, Tori took a quick shower and put on fresh clothes before she and Loki headed to the mess hall. They still had some breakfast food out, but were also transitioning to lunch, so she got a bit of both. Her tray was laden with more food than she’d normally eat, but the session with Steve had burned off all those calories. She ignored Loki’s expression when he looked at the tray. 

She could tell that he was still irked at Steve, and probably at Tony, but decided to let it rest for now. He’d calm down now that it was over, and might even laugh about it later. 

“Hey, have you bought your gift for the Secret Santa yet?” She asked, while gnawing on a chicken leg. “Nat and I are going out in a bit to shop. She waited until the last minute, too. I think Thor has, too, so maybe you could go with him, if you needed to.”

—

**“Oh, um...actually I’ve already got something for my giftee...” Loki said almost nervously, avoiding her eye as he ate his own meal. “And you’ll be happy to know I stayed within the budget you demanded, despite my initial protests. I think the recipient will be quite pleased.”**

**He truly hoped he hadn’t given away that the gift was for** **_her._ ** **He’d realized exactly what to get her recently, and the present was sitting upstairs in his room, ready to be unwrapped. He didn’t want to jinx anything by looking for** **_other_ ** **gifts as well.**

 **“You have fun, darling. Perhaps I’ll accompany Thor just to be certain he doesn’t embarrass himself in public. The idea of** **_shopping_ ** **is still a bit difficult for him, and he often just takes what he fancies without first going to the register.”**

—

“Yeah, it would never do for the God of Thunder to get caught shoplifting,” she laughed, while concentrating on her meal. 

Now that her adrenaline rush had subsided, she felt tired, but in a good way. She hadn’t been hit by Steve’s shield, and had even ‘stolen’ it for a few minutes. 

_Stolen,_ she snickered to herself. 

Before she could answer Loki’s questioning look, a loud voice rang through the hall. 

“Where is she? Where is she?”

She turned to see Tony winding his way around the tables, heading toward them. 

“There she is!” He pointed, just as he hopped up onto a chair. “Would you all believe that _she_ disarmed Captain Steve Rogers, aka Cap, aka Captain _America_!”

Tori nearly choked on a mouthful of food when Tony’s announcement caused everyone there to turn and look, with some of them standing to peer her way. 

“I’m going to kill him,” she muttered, while trying to hide behind her cup. 

Tony came over with a grin, and sat down across from her. Then, as if an afterthought, he slid his chair back and turned sideways to get out of reach of her boot.

“Why?” She lamented. “Why would you do that?”

“No reason,” he shrugged. “You did good, though, kid.”

—

**Loki was torn.**

**On the one hand, he hated the smug billionaire making Tori feel uncomfortable in a room full of people. Regardless of whether or not it was to praise her ability or just call her out in public,** **_she_ ** **didn't want it, which made him seethe with anger. He had to suppress the urge to deck Tony in the face.**

 **On the other hand...it** **_was_ ** **a good bit of mischief, and he could never resist** **_that._ ** **One of the reasons he hadn't gone completely mad living in the Tower with Stark - his one-time mortal enemy - was that his does-not-give-a-fuck attitude he took with absolutely everyone was endlessly entertaining. And...begrudgingly endearing.**

**Still, he reached over under the table and took Tori's hand, squeezing it gently. When she turned to look at him, he just smiled. He wanted her to know it was all OK - just a moment that was now passed. Just a stupid joke.**

—

Tori squeezed Loki’s hand, and his smile calmed her discomfort immediately. Tony didn’t mean any harm, she realized. It was just that she’d spent most of her early years striving not to bring attention to herself, even though her hair color was _certain_ to get her noticed now.

“Thanks,” she replied, returning her attention to her meal. 

Tony noticed the amount of food she had, but said nothing. In any case, they had an agreement that he wouldn’t ask about her parents, nor would he say anything about food, seeing that both were very sensitive subjects. There might come a day where he could tease her about the latter, but today was _not_ that day, because the look in her eyes warned him that he’d be wearing it. 

“He won’t say it, but Cap was quite impressed,” Tony went on, his fingers drumming lightly on the tabletop. 

“Really?” Tori looked at him again, surprised, but also wary in case he was teasing her. 

“Yep,” Tony grinned again. “So, the thing about the car? Forgotten. And you’re welcome to borrow it again, whenever you want.”

“I dunno,” Tori remarked, with a sly glance at Loki. “That kinda takes the fun out of it. Besides, it doesn’t have much of a backseat.”

The look of shock on Tony’s face almost made her burst into laughter, but she tamped it down quickly. 

“You.” Tony pointed at Loki. “Bad influence. And _you!_ I did not need to know that. Now I will never get that picture out of my head. Alright, here’s the deal. The car is not in the garage, the keys are not in the rack, and you are _not_ to take it again. Ever. I mean it, _never._ How’s that?”

“If you say so,” Tori pouted.

—

 **Loki had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud at Tori's retort to Tony's offer. He** **_was_ ** **becoming quite the bad influence on her - all of the sudden she was standing up for herself and making off-color quips and generally being more confident in herself around others.**

**Terrible influence indeed.**

**Once Tony left them alone once more, he pulled her closer by wrapping an arm around her waist. "I'm looking more and more forward to this shopping trip. I hope you have a lovely time. I'm going to try and confuse Thor about Midgardian norms and watching him embarrass himself. Sounds like it will be a lovely afternoon for us both."**

—

Tori laughed softly at that. Loki loved to work mischief on his brother, who took it in stride most times. Sometimes, though, Thor pushed back, and Tony had to remind them both that the training room was not built for two Asgardian gods who threw bolts of lightning and magic around. Thor had apologized but Loki merely shrugged, although he did help repair any damages. 

Once they finished eating and cleared their table, they headed upstairs to meet up with their shopping partners. 

“Don’t be too rough on him, okay?” Tori asked, kissing him quickly. “Have fun, try the food samples, and the hot cocoa. I’ll see you later.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now it’s time to open the gifts and find out who the Secret Santas are. Loki is anxious about how his gift will be received. Tori feels the same way about her gift and itsrecipient.  
> Will there be creepy-crawlies? Or something more appropriate?

\--Christmas Eve--

**Loki fidgeted with the wrapped box in his hands nervously as he stood on the elevator heading upstairs to meet with the rest of the Avengers. It was Secret Santa time...and his palms were sweating with nerves.**

**Things had been so different when they'd drawn names, even though it had only been a few weeks. Now, he was** **_with_ ** **Tori...and he'd figured out what to get her as soon as they'd gotten back from their joyride in Stark's car. He'd been thinking about this moment ever since then. She didn't know she was getting a gift from him, and he was hopeful that she would react positively, especially surrounded by all their colleagues.**

**Thor's gift was simple, but kind. He had pulled Steve's name from the bowl, and Loki had steered him away from the flasks and flaggons ("He can't get drunk, remember? What use would he have for a flask?") and directed him toward a collection of silk ties with American patriotic symbols on them like flags and eagles. One might even go nicely with his "spangly outfit", as Tony continued to call it. And they were** **_on sale_ ** **...which was apparently important in Midgardian society. Both of them would make sure to mention it to Steve later.**

**The doors dinged open, and Loki stepped into the festive atmosphere. Everyone was smiling, drinking from red cups, wearing ridiculous holiday-themed outfits. Loki looked around for Tori, but he wasn't able to find her before Tony came up and patted him on the back a little too hard. His nose and cheeks were rosy with alcohol.**

**"Loki...what are you** **_wearing_ ** **man? Your** **_leathers?_ ** **Take a load off, it's Christmas. Relax!"**

**Loki sneered looking around once again for Tori. "I've never celebrated** **_Christmas_ ** **before. And you're not making me feel like relaxing!"**

—

Tori stared at herself in the mirror, checking her hair, and reconsidering the scant touch of makeup. She’d braided just the top of her hair to keep it out of her eyes, but didn’t put any talismans back in. She wondered if her makeup was an appropriate touch, since the gathering would be very casual. 

_Oh, well,_ she thought, trying to tell herself that her nerves weren't due to having a gift for Loki, which she wasn’t at all certain that he’d like. 

She’d nearly talked herself out of it several times before Natasha had enough of her indecision and had practically pushed her toward the cash register. Now, the gift sat on the end of her bed, waiting to be placed under the tree. 

She forced herself to pick it up and head out the door. When she joined the gathering, she noticed that Tony had gotten a head start on the holiday beverages, which wasn’t unusual, and that Loki had arrived already. She quickly made her way around the room so that she could slip her gift under the tree without anyone noticing. Then she approached Loki, trying to sneak up on him without his catching her, without teleporting. 

“There you are, handsome,” she said, while sliding her arms around his waist. 

She noticed immediately that he wore his leathers, and wondered why he hadn’t worn something more comfortable. Surely, he knew that only the team would be there, and that he could dress for comfort. Then she had a sneaking thought that maybe Tony or Thor had not told him that, in an effort to embarrass him. If that was the case, she would find a way to wreak havoc on them.

—

**Loki felt himself physically relax as those small, familiar arms wrapped around his waist. He turned and looked at Tori, smiling, putting one hand over hers while keeping the box in the other.**

**"I'm so glad to see you," he said, his tone soft. "I was already starting to tire of the holiday antics..."**

**When he saw her look over his clothing, he sighed a bit. "So...you also believe I'm improperly dressed for the occasion, hm? What should I be wearing then?"**

—

“NO, no,” Tori replied, quickly. “You look gorgeous as always. I just thought that maybe Tony had played a trick on you. If you’re more comfortable in your leathers, then by all means….but the tunic and jeans you had on for our joyride...yowza…”

She raised her eyebrows at him, with an impish grin, before hugging him tightly. She suspected that perhaps he’d worn the leather as a type of shell due to the unfamiliarity of the Christmas party. Maybe they were both a bit nervous. 

“You’re not going to cut out early, are you? We probably won’t get to the gifts until after eating, or until Tony finishes the bottle of whatever it is he’s drinking.”

Tori really hoped that he could relax and have a good time. There was plenty of food and treats on the counter, which should interest him, since he and Thor both had a large appetite and an even larger sweet tooth.

“Tell ya what, though, if he breaks out the karaoke machine, I’ll get us out of here, ok?”

—

**Loki laughed at her promise but nodded all the same. He would either need to be** **_very_ ** **drunk or at risk of losing his life in order to participate in** **_that_ ** **horrible pastime. And he planned on neither of those happening tonight.**

**Though, with the Avengers, one never knew.**

**Her comment about his attire did intrigue him, though.**

**"You liked that outfit?" He asked almost sheepishly. He was happy to hear it, despite the fact that he'd already assumed she had. Still, actually getting a compliment...well, it wasn't something he was used to.**

**When she nodded with a twinkle in her eye, he smiled back and simply let his seidr flow around him, changing his usual Asgardian leather into a similar ensemble - but in the center of the tunic was a detailed embroidery of a decorated tree. He felt the heat rise to his cheeks as she looked at it and giggled.**

**"'Tis the season’, as they say. And I'm sure to get a reaction out of** **_everyone_ ** **for it. Although if Tony goes too far, I may end up restraining him with the glitter garlands and stuffing a stocking in his mouth."**

—

When Loki’s magic coursed through him in order to change his clothes, Tori felt the almost imperceptible sensation of electricity. She’d never told him, but it was a part of him that thrilled her, and it was something that they shared. She doubted that any of the others, except maybe Thor, had ever felt or noticed it, so she intended to keep it between her and Loki. 

“I like when you do that,” she whispered to him. “I can sometimes feel your magic, especially when I’m touching you while you use it.”

Tori took his hand and led him over to the snack table, where she served his plate with traditional offerings. She bypassed the punch bowl, and took a glass of champagne instead. Thor was sharing some of his ale, although he didn’t offer her any. He explained that it would be too strong for her, and since she wasn’t really a drinker, she accepted that gracefully. 

“Here, put the gift under the tree for now,” she told Loki, before they found a place to sit. “If you want to, that is.”

Once she’d perched on the arm of the easy chair he’d claimed, she leaned a bit closer to whisper again. 

“You look very handsome regardless of what you wear, but those jeans...I think they’re my favorite.”

—

**He was grateful to have Tori with him throughout the evening. Normally at these affairs, he spent his time near the wall, by himself, hating that no one wanted to talk to him while snarling at and dismissing anyone who tried. But tonight, having Tori at his side, conversation came easy. He wasn’t so defensive or snide, and after almost an hour he found he was actually** **_enjoying_ ** **himself, holding her hand and just letting the party progress.**

**In almost no time, it was time for the gift exchange.**

**Tori got up to coordinate the exchange, and he sat back, watching nervously.**

**_Moment of truth...here we go..._ **

—

Tori left Loki’s side and ushered everyone to a seat. 

“Alright, here we go,” she announced. “Wait up open until everyone has theirs. Then we’ll go one at a time, okay?”

There was a chorus of agreement and excited chatter while she handed out the gifts. When she got to the one with her name, she recognized it as the one that Loki had been holding, so she set it aside until all the other gifts were distributed. Then she took her gift and the one for Loki back so that she could sit beside him again, and put his package on his lap. 

“Alright, who wants to go first?”

There was some hesitancy before Steve volunteered. Once he opened his, then it was easier to get the next person to step up. Once all the gifts were opened, other than Tori’s and Loki’s, she turned to him with a smile. 

“Okay, we’re up. Do you want to open yours first?” She asked him.

—

**Loki swallowed nervously but covered it with a smile as he regarded her. “Sure..” he said softly, feeling all eyes on him as he turned over the gift tag.**

**_To: Loki_ **

**_Love: Tori_ **

**_For the next time we spar._ **

**With a confused smirk, he opened his gift.**

**Something about this moment had him captivated - the tearing of the paper, the smell of the pine tree, the excitement and anticipation of what would be revealed, the exposition of it...**

**The paper was gone, and he pulled up on the lid of the white paper box to reveal...**

**“Hair elastics?”**

**Loki chuckled, pulling out the Goody-brand cardboard sleeve of hair ties. He pulled one off and tied his hair back right away.**

**“You’re right. Thank you!”**

**And he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Now, time to open yours...”**

—

Tori smiled when he put his hair up immediately. She wasn’t sure whether he actually would, but he seemed happy with the thought. 

Then she turned her attention to the box in her hand before opening the small card that was tucked underneath a ribbon. 

_To Tori:_

_No creepy-crawlies._

_From: Loki_

She noticed that he watched her closely so she smiled and waved the card slightly. Then she started tearing at the paper. Finally, she got to the green box and then opened it carefully. 

“Loki...they’re beautiful!” 

The box contained two gold beads, and once she took a closer look, she realized that he’d worn them on the day they’d stolen (uh, _borrowed_ ) the Maserati. 

She smiled, while her pale blue eyes went wide with excitement. Now she had something to wear in her hair that would remind her of Loki, their joyride, and attestment of his feelings for her. Despite her best efforts, tears brimmed her eyes as she looked at him. 

“Thank you so much.”

She kissed him, and then immediately put the beads in her hair. Her fingers worked rapidly to secure them onto two braids at her temple. 

“I love them-“

Tony’s voice interrupted her at that moment. 

“Who’s up for karaoke?”

Tori locked wide eyes with Loki, who had the same expression. 

“Wanna get out of here? There’s a car in the garage that we’re not supposed to use.”

The relief in his eyes was the only answer she needed, so she gripped his hand firmly before teleporting them to the garage, near the key rack. She took the Maserati keys in one hand while still holding Loki’s with the other, and led him to the car. 

Once they were at the vehicle, Tori couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of a _huge_ bough of mistletoe that hung over it. It was hard to miss. 

“I have a feeling that Tony knew we would cut out early,” she said, while pointing at the mistletoe. 

She could tell that he was confused, so she slid her arms around his waist and looked up at him. His emerald eyes were alight, and she wasn’t sure if it was happiness or mischief, but she hoped it was both. 

“Traditionally, you’re supposed to kiss underneath a mistletoe,” she told him. “So, in keeping with tradition—“

Tori stepped back and jumped lightly to put her arms around his neck, so that her feet were several inches off the ground. She felt his arms go around her, and then she kissed him, with a wealth of feeling, so that he had no doubt about how he made her feel.

Then, without a word, they both got into the car, and drove out into the cold night. There was no itinerary, no plan, just Christmas Eve together, and the excitement and hope of what was to come.


End file.
